Roderic O'Conor

Reclining Nude (#1299)

This painting of a reclining nude seems to pulse with some of the movment seen in O'Conor's landscapes and flower paintings. The short, curved brushstrokes of the red background suggest the luxury and luster of crushed velvet. This figure has a more opaque appearance than the other figure, and the modelling is achieved through strokes of contrasting grey and pale blue. As in the flower paintings, the neutral background is here only to set the figure off to its best advantage. The figure¹s face, heavily shadowed and reflecting the rich claret tones of the background, seems of less importance than the body of the nude, which, in its brightness, has the luminosity of the finest marble.